Statement

I hope everyone is doing well at home. I found the translated text of Sadr's statement yesterday which makes 9 demands to Maliki’s government. Maliki welcomed the demands so we'll see what happens. I attached a link to the site if you want to read further.

Rancid

I finally have internet in my room and it is about as slow as my first ever dial-up connection...no joke. I'll actually be surprised if this posts. It is better than nothing though so i'll take it. I also caved in and bought a phone over here so if you email me, I'll give you my number. I would love to hear from you all but I wouldn't reccomend calling often because it will really rocket up your bill. I am really surprised that no US phone companies have moved in over here yet. This place would be a gold mine for Verizon or AT&T...a true opportunity gap. Maybe thay are waiting out the war.
The last week has been exciting. If you have been following the news, you probably noticed that there has been an uptick in activity over here. I can't really give any details on the blog because it is likely monitored by the enemy. But I'm doing well over here...we all are. The worst part is probably the smell...it is wretched--a combination of burning rubber, fuel, and shit...like nothing you have really ever experienced before. The Iraqi people are generally very friendly and about 50% of them speak some English. I'm working on my Arabic but it is not easy.

Camel

I know it has been a while since I last wrote anything and I apologize. My internet access is still extremely limited. I'm heading into Iraq this weekend and once I get settled in (2 weeks or so) I'll have more consistent internet access.
The weather is pretty nice over here it averages mid 80s this time of year. The sandstorms have not gotten bad yet but they are still pretty intense. You cannot see your hands if you hold your arm out straight. I was trying to reconfim my M4 zero in those conditions...nearly impossible. I saw a herd of like 200 camels yesterday. They just run around on the sides of the road and the Kuwaitis try to herd them with SUVs....really amusing. They have a guy in the passenger seat with a long stick and he hits them as the driver rips around. That's about it for now. We are all string to get a little bored and we're ready to go up North.

Don't Cha

Wow....I am trying to navigate this page in arabic...I'm not sure why everything is not translating but I think you all should be able to read this in english there.
Anyway, these past few days have been pretty hectic. I missed the Pussy Cat Dolls and Jessica Simpson who were here in Kuwait performing when we drove in. We had to dowload all of our gear so we couldnt hit the show. Otherwise we've been busy preparing our vehicles and weapons for combat. I don't really have time to write much but I wanted to attach a link to an article in teh Killeen Daily Herald. They misquoted me a little but oh well....click on the post title to follow the link.

Ireland

I took off from Ft Hood around 1500 central time and we had a direct flight to Shannon, Ireland. We are here now waiting while they refuel and refit the plane. We are supposed to leave at 0900 Ireland time for Kuwait. I'm not sure how long that flight will be but I plan to pass out pretty hard.
This place is pretty crazy though...all of the Irish civilians are drinking and it is 0500 in the morning. I just saw some lady buy a 12-pack. I've never seen that before at an airport. Gotta Go.

McCain's New Ad

Ahmadinejad

Check out this article from Al-JAZEERA. The writer offers some interesting perspectives on Iran's influence in Iraq. He even proposes that the US and Iran may be cooperating behind closed doors. This is and interesting theory but is ridiculous nonetheless. Click on the title "Ahmadinejad" to read the article.

Croc Attack

These images made me think of the tiger attack at the SanFran Zoo. Some idiot decided to taunt this wild croc and was lucky he didn't turn out like those clowns at the zoo. The funny thing is that I could see myself (or Tanner) doing the same thing.

"I began playing with it for a photo,'' Mr Mashiah said. "I was pointing at it when it suddenly jumped up at me - I didn't realise that crocs were so aggressive.'' The "saltie" – which experts believe probably approached the boat in search of a free feed of fish – propelled itself out of the water with terrifying speed. After narrowly missing its prey, it smashed into the side of the small metal boat before plunging back into the water.
"I was shocked - the animal clearly wanted to kill me,'' Mr Mashiah, from Tel Aviv, told the Northern Territory News. "One minute I was leaning over the boat teasing it for a picture. The next minute it burst out of the water with incredible speed ... its jaws fully open. I was shaking,'' he said.

Admin Note

For those of you who don't know, I'm taking off this Sunday for Kuwait. I'll be in Iraq by the end of March. Once in Iraq, I'll try to blog as much as possible.

You'll notice that I removed my name and title/position from the profile page. It is important that none of you mention my last name or rank in any of your comments on the site. Insurgents actually monitor the sites of military bloggers. Obviously, I won't be posting any secret information, but it is still important that I keep the info as tight as possible. late.